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Katy and Dan Gryboski, along with their children, have volunteered for Broomfield Pals, a new program designed to connect neighbors for small chores and companionship. Pictured with them are Samson, 14, Evelyn, 9, and Owen, 11.
(Jennifer Rios/Staff Writer)

Editor’s note: Samson Gryboski’s name was spelled incorrectly in the original posting of this story.

Broomfield is launching a communitywide program that aims to connect neighbors — particularly seniors who could use some companionship or help around the yard.

The Broomfield Pals program launched May 12 and is not limited to residents 60 or older. No age limit has been placed on the program, said Angela Bomgaars, volunteer coordinator with the city and county of Broomfield, but organizers expect primarily older adults to sign up.

Applications can be completed online. Separate forms are available for those wanting to volunteer and those seeking a volunteer.

Bomgaars said so far four residents have applied to be matched and seven volunteers have come forward. Two matches have been made, she said, and the other two residents are awaiting matches pending background checks.

A Snow Pal program was launched this winter with a similar model of connecting seniors with people who were willing to help shovel driveways and sidewalks. This program is a similar model, Bomgaars said, but focuses more on connectivity in times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Broomfield Pals is broader and can be more customized, Bomgaars said, and will match volunteers with residents who volunteer to check in on their neighbors and assess, and fulfill, their needs. There are a lot of resources available to seniors, to which volunteers in the program can direct people.

“We’re trying to use this as a way to have a volunteer and neighbor build a relationship and help connect them to that information,” Bomgaars said. “It’s also a social connection. They can do virtual coffee or lunch dates.”

Individuals or families are invited to sign up to volunteer. An example of how families can get involved is if a child is learning to read or play an instrument, they can offer a story or song to a neighbor, while following social distancing requirements.

The program also hopes to encourage social interaction, Bomgaars said — not just during the COVID-19 pandemic, butas an ongoing effort.

Broomfield Pals is intended to fill needs that are not met through programs, such as Meals on Wheels. While it is not intended simply for yard work, such as weeding, mowing or planting a garden, volunteers can fill those roles.

Each match is customized to what people need and what volunteers can provide.

“It’s meant to build social connection,” Bomgaars said.

Each match will be individualized to the person and what their needs are, such as pulling weeds to mowing to having children create chalk art to brighten up a driveway or sidewalk to practicing a musical instrument.

“What is it they’re’ looking for,” Bomgaars said. “What do they need?”

Volunteers can sign up as individuals or families. Background checks are done on volunteers 18 and older.

The hope is relationships will evolve organically, Bomgaars said, and city officials will help coach volunteers through the process. City employees will conduct interviews to determine matches based on need and capacity. It ultimately gives parents and their children a chance to do a “good deed” for a neighbor, she said.

“My plan, at least in the beginning, is to send weekly emails to volunteers on ways they can connect,” Bomgaars said. “Resources are available and I’ll respond to feedback I get from volunteers — what they’re hearing, what do they need.”

Each match could look different, she said, based on individuals’ changing needs.

“It’s a great opportunity to talk with a neighbor,” Bomgaars said. “If there are things someone needs, it’s also an opportunity to use volunteers as a way to connect them with those resources.”

Katy Gryboski, whose family was paired Monday with a woman who lives in the Brandywine neighborhood, wanted to be involved to give back to the community.

Gryboski and her family have lived in Broomfield since 2005. She and her husband, Dan, 46, have three children — Samson, 14, Evelyn, 9, and Owen, 11 — who they hope to involve in their work Broomfield Pals. All of them know how to mow lawns and pull weeds, she said, and her daughter loves to make cards and draw sidewalk chalk art to brighten someone’s day.

“We absolutely love Broomfield and we feel very fortunate right now in this pandemic that we both still have jobs and we are healthy and able,” Katy Gryboski said. “I know there are a lot of people out there who are not in that situation.”

Bomgaars said the goal is to connect neighbors who are close geographically, but Gryboski said she believes her family was paired with their senior because the woman needed help with work around the house — branches that needed to be cut and a repair to her porch.

“I volunteered my husband,” Gryboski said. “He is much more handy than I am, so he’s planning to help her with those home repairs.”

Gryboski said her husband already worked from home, so the COVID-19 orders didn’t affect his routine. She returned to work Thursday at the Standley Lake Library in Arvada, where she helped with curbside delivery services.

Things have been “interesting” with at home-learning for the couple’s three children, she said, and it’s certainly been a learning curve for parents, students and teachers navigating that process.

Thursday also was the children’s last day of school at Aspen Creek K-8. They’re excited for summer, but those feelings are tempered by the knowledge that this summer will be different because of COVID-19.

“We’re so thankful to live here in Colorado with this beautiful weather,” Gryboski said. “We love our neighborhood. We can go outside these trails and enjoy mountain views. We try to get outside as much as possible and stay active.”

The family hasn’t met their senior yet, but are involved in a similar program through Cross of Christ Lutheran Church. Church leaders reached out to younger members to see who was willing to support other members who might need help during this time, she said.

The family was connected to a 91-year-old member of the church, Gryboski said, and she’s done things such as deliver a plant and a book from the Little Free Library across the street from the woman’s house.

“She still lives on her own in Westminster,” she said. “We try to call her once a week, send letters and I visited her last week from a safe distance. I envision a similar relationship through Broomfield Pals and being able to make those connections.”